Image of people at a computer

Cyber security

Northern Ireland is a global cyber security hub.

Northern Ireland firms in the region deliver expertise globally on advanced persistent threats to national security, government, health, automotive, critical infrastructure, capital markets, legal, e-commerce, e-learning and child safety online.

Northern Ireland is the #1 international investment location for US cyber security firms. Proofpoint, IBM Security, Rapid7, Imperva, Anomali, Contrast Security and SilverSky all have operations in the region. It is also home to a number of international financial services companies such as Allstate, Aflac and CME, that have located their Cyber Security Operation Centres in Belfast.

Global professional services firms including Deloitte, PA and KMPG, and technology companies, like Microsoft, Nvidia and BT, all have significant security operations in the region and have developed a range of cyber security solutions directly serviced from Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland also has a cluster of locally grown firms, such as Metacompliance, Angoka, Salt Communications and Skurio, who are developing innovative cyber security products and services which are being exported globally.

Northern Ireland is home to the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast. CSIT is the UK’s Innovation and Knowledge Centre (IKC) for cyber security and a dynamic motor for research and commercial spin-outs. 

  • Expertise

    Over 120 firms in Northern Ireland have teams working on cyber security.

  • Innovation

    Northern Ireland is an international hub for cyber security research and innovation, anchored by CSIT, a global flagship institute for cyber security research and education.

  • Talent

    Northern Ireland is renowned for exceptional software engineering talent, boosted by our region’s superior performance in STEM-related subjects.

  • Partnership

    We are home to a uniquely supportive business ecosystem built on close partnerships between industry, academia and government. 

Areas of expertise

Area of sector expertise

  • Software
  • Access management
  • User verification
  • Facial/gait recognition
  • Northern Ireland has developed deep expertise in this key cyber security field with firms Oosto, Core Systems, ESS Security, B-Secure, Liopa, Salt Communications, LAVA Group and Liopa making a name for themselves worldwide.
  • Local firm Salt Communications is the first company to provide a solution for encrypted communications between devices with centralised control for the enterprise.

Centre for Secure Information Technologies

CSIT Logo

Established in 2009, the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast is a global flagship centre for cyber security.

CSIT has a number of innovation programmes including:

  • CSIT Labs: an incubator programme to engineer viable ventures in cyber security
  • HutZero: the UK’s first bootcame for cyber security entrepreneurs
  • Cyber101: business basics for cyber security SMEs

The London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement (LORCA) is delivered by CSIT in partnership with Deloitte’s cyber team.

The UK Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE) at CSIT is one of four cyber security institutes in the UK and will be a global hub for research and innovation in hardware security.

Get in touch

Our international team can assist you with further information about our cyber security sector and innovative companies. Please connect with us directly or fill in our enquiry form below.

Please get in touch.  You can find a team in your region or fill in an enquiry form and a member of the team will contact you directly.

For information on how we use your personal data including your rights, see our privacy notice.